DZWatch reports that the Algerian Council of the Nation’s journal, ‘Parliamentary Thought,’ has dedicated its 42nd edition to a comprehensive examination of French colonial crimes committed in Algeria between 1830 and 1962. The issue compiles insights from researchers and historians, shedding light on the profound impact of French colonialism on Algerian society and its people.
The special issue delves into various facets of colonial oppression, from the seizure of land and systematic attempts to erase Algerian identity to violations of legal and international norms. The journal meticulously documents these crimes, presenting a collection of historical documents and testimonies.
Professor Makhlouf Sahel, Head of Staff for the President of the Council of the Nation, characterizes the French occupation of Algeria as one of the most brutal colonial campaigns in modern history, spanning over a century. He argues that France’s actions extended beyond mere military and political control, encompassing forced settlement and colonial projects aimed at dismantling the social fabric, eradicating national identity, and seizing land and resources. The ultimate goal, according to Professor Sahel, was to replace Algerian existence with a French-European presence.
He further elaborates that these destructive strategies triggered a series of organized crimes from the initial invasion until Algeria’s independence in 1962. These included cultural and religious offenses such as the closure of Quranic schools and mosques, the confiscation of endowments, the prohibition of scholars from teaching, and the imposition of French in administration and education.
The journal also highlights the scorched-earth policy implemented by General Bugeaud, commencing with the landing of French forces in Sidi Ferruch. This policy involved burning villages and crops, destroying oases, displacing tribes, and perpetrating massacres, such as those in Mitidja and the Blida Atlas regions.
The issue further presents accounts of atrocities, including the Ghar al-Frashih massacre on June 18, 1845, where approximately 1,800 women, children, and elderly individuals were burned alive, along with their animals, under the command of Eugène Cavaignac. During the Algerian War of Independence, French forces systematically employed torture, including electrocution, drowning, branding, field executions, and the use of prohibited bombs. The devastating effects of nuclear testing in the Algerian Sahara continue to this day.
Mohamed Yahi al-Majaji, Director of Historical Heritage at the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, emphasized how the French occupation systematically used…
